Year: 1970.
Country:
Grateful Dead discography rank: 1 (out of 164 listed on BEA)
1970 rank: 16
1970s rank: 95
Overall rank: 392
Average rating: 80/100 (from 818 votes).
Tracks:
1. Box Of Rain
2. Friend Of The Devil
3. Sugar Magnolia
4. Operator
5. Candyman
6. Ripple
7. Brokedown Palace
8. Till The Morning Comes
9. Attics Of My Life
10. Truckin'
indicates a top-rated track.
Top voted comments:
"This album really ought to be in the top 100.
I'm realizing how hard I'm finding it to write accurate description of these albums, rather, why I like them. I like them because the underlying music is good. That's all there is too it."
- @revolver94 (Rating: 95/100)
________________________________________________________
"I used to think that "Workingman's Dead" with songs like "Uncle John's Band," "Dire Wolf" and "Casey Jones" must be the strongest Grateful Dead album. After listening carefully to "American Beauty" there is no doubt that I have to reconsider my opinion. Where the "Uncle John's Band" has a few less interesting numbers, "American Beauty" comes out as a full set album. Stylistically the two albums, of course, are very close to each other, with the emphasis that is placed in magnificent vocal harmonies, with considerable inspiration from Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
Grateful Dead's songwriting is troughout the album marked by both inspiration and creativity and many of the group's most beloved songs can be found here. First and foremost, the bluesy "Truckin '" is highlighted because it was a great concert favorite, the closest the group came to a single hit, and of course because it's nice song.
Otherwise, it is the country / folk-inspired songs that dominate with "Box of Rain", "Sugar Magnolia," "Ripple" and "Till the Morning Comes" as my personal favorites.
The magnificent vocals are particularly expressed in the hymn-like "Attics of My Life", which also help make this album an unforgettable milestone.
More upbeat is "Friend of the Devil" and "Operator", the latter written and sung by Ron McKernan. Otherwise, it is as usually Jerry Garcia who is the most prolific songwriter, with Phil Lesh and Bob Weir contributing with the classics "Box of Rain" and "Sugar Magnolia".
In addition to the single versions of "Truckin '" and "Ripple" the bonus tracks consist of fine live recordings from various concerts played in 1970. Fine sound and great performances."
- @Rovers (Rating: 85/100)
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About album of the day: The BestEverAlbums.com album of the day is the album appearing most prominently in member charts in the previous 24 hours. If an album, or artist, has previously been selected within a x day period, the next highest album is picked instead (and so on) to ensure a bit of variety. A full history of album of the day can be viewed here. _________________ Bluesky · Facebook · Spotify
DommeDamianImperfect, sensitive Aspie with a melody addictionProfile Spire City
Funny that sometimes when I have told what boomer-rock was, two of the bands were Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. And while Jefferson Airplane have aged well enough to become more timeless (especially yesterday's Surrealistic Pillow), Grateful Dead is reeking of boomer-energy. None of the songs have flavor, nor do they rock, nor do they aspire some cool headspace unlike contemporaries in all their genres. _________________ My Top 100 :
www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=4...amp;page=1
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